Stephen R.C. Hicks's Blog, page 61
October 15, 2023
Why did Heine say Kant is an intellectual “terrorist”?
Immanuel Kant is arguably the most influential philosopher of the past 240 years. Yet the essayist Heinrich Heine made this claim about Immanuel Kant’s philosophy: “Immanuel Kant, the arch-destroyer in the realm of thought, far surpassed in terrorism Maximilian Robespierre.” Harsh language, and it goes against a standard interpretation of Kant as the savior of …
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October 14, 2023
Philosophy of History | G.W.F. Hegel | Philosophers, Explained by Stephen Hicks
Who are the great philosophers, and what makes them great? Episodes: The full playlist. Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University, USA, and has had visiting positions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the University of Kasimir the Great in Poland, Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College in England, and Jagiellonian …
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October 12, 2023
Middle East conflicts and the biggest big picture solution
The flip side to “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” is “Those who do learn from history can duplicate its successes.” Five propositions about the Middle East: 1. The Middle East now is like Europe 500 years ago—a mix of religious hatreds, ethnic rivalries, national conflicts, cycles of revenge—along …
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October 11, 2023
Art school reject: Auguste Rodin
The teenaged Rodin applied for admission to the École des Beaux-Arts. But: “Rodin, who competed for the first time at seventeen, failed to gain admission — not once but three times within eighteen months. The humiliation of these rebuffs was scarcely lessened by the fact that the examiners acknowledged his gift for drawing but rejected …
October 6, 2023
Anthony Holden’s Tchaikovsky
(Reprising this post on my favorite biography.) I finished Anthony Holden’s Tchaikovsky (Random House, 1995), an outstandingly well-written account of the great composer’s life. Here is an indication of the young Pyotr’s aptitude for music: “Tchaikovsky’s parents entertained a Polish pianist of their acquaintance, who naturally gave an evening concert for the thin line of …
October 4, 2023
Jan Vermeer | “Girl with a Red Hat” (1667) [Newberry on Great Art series]
An Artist’s View: Michael Newberry on Key Works of Art in History Michael Newberry, is an avant-garde figurative painter, writer and teacher promoting evolutionary flourishing through his work. He does this through advances in color theory, body language, symbolism, and composition. Michael is the author of two books released in 2021: Evolution Through Art and Newberry …
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October 2, 2023
The first ten *Philosophers, Explained*
The published series now includes: 1 Immanuel Kant on the limits of reason. Critique of Pure Reason. 2 William James on pacifism and defeating militarism. “The Moral Equivalent of War.” 3 Galileo Galilei on not persecuting scientists, “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina.” 4 Arachne and Athena on religion and ethics. From Greek Mythology. 5 …
October 1, 2023
Debate or not? A psychological red flag
Exhibit A: Suppose one is studying Plato’s philosophy and encounters this question: Are the Forms to be taken as metaphysical realities or as rhetorical devices? One notes that for years scholars have informally discussed the issue. A formal debate is then proposed. Immediately, one observes this among some Platonists: 1.This should not be debated! Plato …
September 30, 2023
Some Thoughts Concerning Education | John Locke | *Philosophers, Explained by Stephen Hicks
Who are the great philosophers, and what makes them great? Episodes: The full playlist. Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University, USA, and has had visiting positions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the University of Kasimir the Great in Poland, Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College in England, and Jagiellonian …
September 29, 2023
Why must we imagine Sisyphus happy?
The last line of Camus’s famous essay is: “We must imagine Sisyphus happy.” But why must we? He is condemned to roll a boulder up a hill, repeatedly. What pointless exertion. What futility. Just like most people’s lives. Here is my reading of Camus’s classic text, with explanation: Related: The full Philosophers, Explained series, including …
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